Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Depression

Here's Ed Welch, author of Depression: A Stubborn Darkness, talking about his family history and some ways to think about depression. Our MI small group read and discussed this book together.



Source

Next Sermon - Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50 on 08/02/09

I'm going to preach the remainder of Matthew 13 in two sermons. This coming Sunday, we will look at the parable of the weeds, its interpretation, and the similar parable of the net. The following Sunday, we will look at the other shorter parables and the conclusion of the chapter.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, 47-50
24 He put another parable before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?' 28 He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' So the servants said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?' 29 But he said, 'No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.' "

*****

36 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the children of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

*****

47 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. 49 So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Communion on the Moon

Maybe you've seen this already-- since it was back on Monday that marked the anniversary of the first-man-on-the-moon-- but I've been away from the blog for most of the week.

While I believe that the Lord's Supper, as an act of communion*, should be observed in the community of the church, this is still a fascinating story.

Go here to read about how Buzz Aldrin (The Second Man on the Moon!) observed the Lord's Supper just a few minutes after landing the lunar module on July 20, 1969.


*1 Corinthians 10:16 "The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" The word "participation" here in the ESV was "communion" in the old King James Version, and is the same word often translated in other passages as fellowship, partnership, or sharing. You can't have fellowship, partnership, participation, sharing, or communion by yourself.

Next Sermon - Matthew 13:1-23 on 07/26/09

Here is the text for this coming Sunday's sermon.

Matthew 13:1-23
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“ ‘You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Just the Bible, Please - Continued

A commenter wrote in response to my earlier post “Just the Bible, Please”:
At what point do you think a "Study Bible" becomes a "niche bible"? i.e., is the ESV Study Bible actually a "niche bible"? What about the Reformation or MacArthur Study Bibles?
Christopher,
Your question is a good one. There are some differences between study Bibles and the niche Bibles I referred to in the post, but there are also parallels.

The primary difference is that study Bibles are not highlighting a particular theme, but commenting on the whole Bible, seeking simply to explain the text. Niche Bibles can elevate a genuine biblical theme out of proportion, skew the text to support the theme, or just make the Bible a lifestyle product.

However, a study Bible can become a niche Bible of sorts when their commentary reflects a very particular or narrowly defined perspective. Thus, you can get Reformed theology study Bibles and Pentecostal study Bibles and Dispensational study Bibles (which also happen to include some of the most popular one-man study Bibles, such as Scofield, Ryrie, and MacArthur).

I tend to think that the more broadly based commentaries are somewhat less problematic here, such as the ESV Study Bible, NIV Study Bible, NLT Study Bible, Life Application Study Bible, etc. But even here, of course, the theology has to come down somewhere, which is why I prefer the ESV Study Bible over the others for the quality of its notes (and others will gladly choose MacArthur over, say, the NLT Study Bible, for the same reason).

Here's where the critiques of the niche Bibles included in my original post also apply to Study Bibles. Even if the notes are largely accurate and helpful, it might just be better to put them all in a separate volume and call it a commentary. Anytime you put uninspired (i.e., non-scriptural) text in the same hard copy of the Bible, you run the risk of people equating the notes with Scripture. What you gain in convenience, you may lose in the exclusive authority of Scripture.

Even though I use and recommend the ESV Study Bible, I have disagreed with a few points it makes in my study through Matthew. The notes, like sermons, are human interpretations of Scripture. I want you to wrestle with my sermons and with the commentary of others, letting the text of Scripture stand as the authority. And, please, please, don’t bring your Study Bible to church and compare what the preacher or Sunday School teacher says with your notes. Focus on the text!

Study Bibles can also produce lazy readers. When it only takes a glance to get “the answer” to a confusing or perplexing text, it allows us to forego really wrestling with it. We need to re-read, think, pray, check cross-references, and so on to get to the meaning. Sometimes, we will need the help of a wise and faithful commentator, but going immediately to the notes of a study Bible or commentary is like never taking off the training wheels of your bicycle.

Conclusion: A good Study Bible is helpful, but I would recommend using it as the reference tool that it is meant to be. It may be fine at times to use it in devotional reading, but I would recommend sticking to a regular Bible and go to the Study Bible only after wrestling with the text on your own.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

The World's Oldest Bible

Karen Jobes:
The ancient codex meets modern technology with the Codex Sinaiticus project that went online this month. Because Sinaiticus, the world’s oldest Bible, was originally acquired in parts during the 19th-century, for more than a century it pages have been secured away from easy access in four institutions: the British Library, the University Library in Leipzig, the National Library of Russia, and St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt.

On July 6, 2009, a partnership agreement by these four institutions culminated in the reunion of the entire Bible in digital form online. All known leaves of Codex Sinaiticus have been digitally photographed and assembled at http://www.codexsinaiticus.org, where the manuscript can be viewed, along with a transcription of its Greek text and translations into English, modern Greek, German, and Russian. Never before have scholars and the general public alike had such close and sustained access to this ancient manuscript. The BBC announced the project at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8135415.stm.

To see features of the website showing the manuscript, its transcription, and English translation go to http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx?book=9.

Increasingly Fragile

Not what you'd expect to find in TIME magazine, from an article titled "Is There Hope for the American Marriage?":
An increasingly fragile construct depending less and less on notions of sacrifice and obligation than on the ephemera of romance and happiness as defined by and for its adult principals, the intact, two-parent family remains our cultural ideal, but it exists under constant assault. It is buffeted by affairs and ennui, subject to the eternal American hope for greater happiness, for changing the hand you dealt yourself. Getting married for life, having children and raising them with your partner — this is still the way most Americans are conducting adult life, but the numbers who are moving in a different direction continue to rise. Most notably, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in May that births to unmarried women have reached an astonishing 39.7%.

How much does this matter? More than words can say. There is no other single force causing as much measurable hardship and human misery in this country as the collapse of marriage. It hurts children, it reduces mothers' financial security, and it has landed with particular devastation on those who can bear it least: the nation's underclass.

And, later:
The fundamental question we must ask ourselves at the beginning of the century is this: What is the purpose of marriage? Is it — given the game-changing realities of birth control, female equality and the fact that motherhood outside of marriage is no longer stigmatized — simply an institution that has the capacity to increase the pleasure of the adults who enter into it? If so, we might as well hold the wake now: there probably aren't many people whose idea of 24-hour-a-day good times consists of being yoked to the same romantic partner, through bouts of stomach flu and depression, financial setbacks and emotional upsets, until after many a long decade, one or the other eventually dies in harness.

Or is marriage an institution that still hews to its old intention and function — to raise the next generation, to protect and teach it, to instill in it the habits of conduct and character that will ensure the generation's own safe passage into adulthood? Think of it this way: the current generation of children, the one watching commitments between adults snap like dry twigs and observing parents who simply can't be bothered to marry each other and who hence drift in and out of their children's lives — that's the generation who will be taking care of us when we are old.

If you read the whole thing online, try to ignore the pesky, ridiculous hyperlinks scattered throughout.

Just the Bible, Please

Quick-- which of the following is not a themed Bible currently on the market?
A. The American Patriot's Bible
B. The Green Bible
C. Manga Bible
D. Pray for a Cure Bible
E. Wild About Horses Bible
F. Hungry Planet Bible

Yes, the answer is what you were afraid of. Not a one of these is too off-the-wall so as to have been turned down by the publishing houses. What does this say of publishers? What does this say of the Bible-buying public?

The problem with niche Bibles, whether based on gender, stage of life, marital status, hobby, or cause, is that they tend to skew the Bible's message toward the theme. This tends to prevent the Scriptures from speaking on their own, with their own authority.

From a lengthy and thoughtful review of a recent addition to this genre of sorts, Alan Jacobs writes:
The Green Bible presents us with a curious kind of natural theology: We start with things we know to be true from trusted sources—Al Gore, perhaps?—and then we turn to Scripture to measure it against those preexisting and reliable authorities. And what a relief to discover that God is green. Because we already know that it's good to be green—what we didn't know is whether God measures up to that standard.

Similarly, Greg Boyd critiques The American Patriot's Bible:
I have no doubt that those who contributed to the Patriot’s Bible are sincere, godly people who genuinely believe they’re doing America and the Kingdom a service by publishing this work. And had they published their particular interpretation of American history in a separate volume, I would have had much less trouble with it. What grieves me deeply is that the Patriot’s Bible fuses this interpretation with the biblical narrative in an attempt to give it divine authority. As such, this version of the Bible virtually incarnates the nationalistic idolatry that has afflicted the Church for centuries and so thoroughly compromised the beauty of the trans-national, self-sacrificial Kingdom Jesus came to bring.

As someone recently commented on this trend:
These specialty Bibles allow their owners to identify themselves by a cause they feel passionate about, not just their stage of life or color preference. But are we shaping the Bible to our lifestyle more than molding our lifestyle to the Bible?

That's a question worth pondering, no matter what you carry to church on Sunday.


[See 'em for yourself. A, B, C, D, E, F ]

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Crazy Love

What have I been listening to lately? Christianaudio.com's free download of the month for July-- it's Crazy Love by Francis Chan. He's a pastor from California who has been getting some wider exposure lately, but I didn't know much about him beyond a couple of web clips I'd seen. After I found this review of the book, I thought I'd give it a listen while in the car over the past week and doing some odd jobs outside yesterday.

Chan reads the book himself, and it is all about a challenge to live radically for Christ from the basis of his radical love for us in the gospel. Though it is probably best for a young adult audience, say 15 to 35 year olds, I think just about anyone could appreciate it. If it doesn't sound like something you'd read, I'd encourage you to forward it to your favorite college student with an iPod. Anyone can download it for free this month here with this code: JUL2009.

Here's the author describing his book.

Worshiping Worship?

Here is D. A. Carson on the topic of worship and the futility of songs that talk about worshiping more than God. His example is a bit dated, but if you're singing about how much you "just wanna" worship/love/embrace, and not about God, well, this applies:
This point is acknowledged in a praise chorus like "Let's forget about ourselves, and magnify the Lord, and worship him." The trouble is that after you have sung this repetitious chorus three of four times, you are no farther ahead. The way you forget about yourself is by focusing on God--not by singing about doing it, but by doing it. There are far too choruses and services and sermons that expand our vision of God--his attributes, his works, his character, his words. Some think that corporate worship is good because it is lively where it had been dull. But it may also be shallow where it is lively, leaving people dissatisfied and restless in a few months' time. Sheep lie down when they are well fed (cf. Psalm 23:2); they are more likely to be restless when they are hungry. "Feed my sheep," Jesus commanded Peter (John 21); and many sheep are unfed. If you wish to deepen the worship of the people of God, above all deepen their grasp of his ineffable majesty in his person and in all his works.

We do not expect the garage mechanic to expatiate on the wonders of his tools; we expect him to fix the car. He must know how to use his tools, but he must not lose sight of the goal. So we dare not focus on the mechanics of corporate worship and lose sight of the goal. We focus on God himself, and thus we become more godly and learn to worship--and collaterally we learn to edify one another, forbear with one another, challenge one another.

Source, originally from Worship by the Book

Saturday, July 11, 2009

"My Song Is Love Unknown"

Because you can find all the contemporary music you want on the radio, I thought I'd pass along something beautiful that you might not otherwise hear...


"Speed Thy Servants, Savior"

Here's a hymn for those who love God, the gospel, missions, and missionaries.

Speed Thy servants, Savior, speed them;
Thou art Lord of winds and waves;
They were bound, but Thou hast freed them;
Now they go to free the slaves:
Be Thou with them, ’tis Thine arm alone that saves.

Friends, and home, and all forsaking,
Lord, they go at Thy command,
As their stay Thy promise taking,
While they traverse sea and land:
O be with them; lead them safely by the hand.

When they reach the land of strangers,
And the prospect dark appears,
Nothing seen but toils and dangers,
Nothing felt but doubts and fears,
Be Thou with them, hear their sighs and count their tears.

When no fruit appears to cheer them,
And they seem to toil in vain,
Then in mercy, Lord, draw near them,
Then their sinking hopes sustain:
Thus supported, let their zeal revive again.

In the midst of opposition
Let them trust, O Lord, in Thee;
When success attends their mission,
Let Thy servants humbler be:
Never leave them till Thy face in Heav’n they see.

There to reap in joy forever,
Fruit that grows from seed here sown;
There to be with Him, who never
Ceases to preserve His own;
And with gladness give the praise to Him alone.


By Thomas Kelly, published in 1820

Source

Friday, July 10, 2009

EFCA Statement of Faith, Point 7

For our Welcome to the Family class...
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:

The Church
7. We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.

The Church
7. We believe that the true church (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:4-6; 5:25; Heb. 12:28) comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone (Ps. 103:12; Isa. 44:22; Jn. 3:16; Acts 16:31; Rom. 3:20-28; 4:3; 5:1, 21; 8:1, 30, 33-34; 10:4, 9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 3:9; Tit. 3:7; Heb. 10:14). They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12-27), of which He is the Head (Eph. 1:22-23; 4:15-16; Col. 1:18; 2:19). The true church is manifest in local churches (Acts 9:31; 20:28-30; Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 1:2; 16:19; 2 Cor. 1:1; 1 Thess. 1:1; Philem. 1-2), whose membership should be composed only of believers (Matt. 18:15-20; Acts 2:41, 47; 14:23; 20:7; 1 Cor. 1:2, 9; 11:20; 12:13; 14:40; 16:1-2; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:9; Tit. 1:5-9; Heb. 10:25). The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism (Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:12) and the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:15-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-26), which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer (Jn. 6:55-56; Acts 2:38; 8:39; 16:34; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:29-30; Col. 2:12).

EFCA Statement of Faith, Point 6

For our Welcome to the Family class...
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:

The Holy Spirit
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.

The Holy Spirit
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 16:14). He convicts the world of its guilt (Jn. 16:8; 1 Cor. 2:14). He regenerates sinners (Ezek. 36:25-27; Jn. 3:3, 5; 1 Cor. 12:3; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13; 1 Thess. 1:4-5; 2 Thess. 2:13; Tit. 3:5; Jms. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:3), and in Him they are baptized (Mk. 1:8; Acts 1:5; 1 Cor. 12:13) into union with Christ (Rom. 3:24; 5:15-21; 12:5; 1 Cor. 1:2; 5:19; 15:22b; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 1:22; 2:17; 3:28; Eph. 1:4; 2:12; 3:6; 4:32; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Thess. 4:16) and adopted as heirs (Rom. 8:15, 23; 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5; Tit. 3:7) in the family of God (Matt. 12:49-50; 2 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 3:14; 1 Jn. 3:14-18). He also indwells (Jn. 14:17; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 3:16), illuminates (1 Cor. 2:2; 2 Cor. 4:4-15; Eph. 1:17-19; Phil. 1:9-11), guides (Jn. 16:13; Acts 15:28; Rom. 8:4, 14; Gal. 5:16, 18), equips (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12: 4-10; Eph. 4: 7-11; 1 Pet. 4:10-11) and empowers (Acts 1:8; 10:38; Rom. 15:13; 1 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:7) believers for Christ-like living and service (Acts 6:8; Rom. 8:4-6, 12-16; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 3:3, 5; 5:22-23, 25; Eph. 2:22; 4:3; Phil. 2:1-2).

EFCA Statement of Faith, Point 5

We're going through our statement of faith in the Welcome to the Family class. We're up to point 4, which I posted here recently, and I'm going to post the next few points in anticipation of our class this Sunday. This allows for easy access to the supporting Scripture references.
The Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of autonomous churches united around these theological convictions:

The Work of Christ
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.

The Work of Christ
5. We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative (Gen. 2:15-17; Matt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-13; Rom. 5:18-19; 1 Cor. 1:30; 15:45, 47; Phil. 3:9) and substitute (Mk. 10:45; Heb. 2:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18), shed His blood on the cross (Lev. 17:11; Mt. 26:28; Heb. 9:14, 22; 10:19; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 12:10-11) as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice (1 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 9:23-24, 26, 28; 10:1; 13:11, 12) for our sins (Isa. 53:5-7, 12; Jn. 1:29; Rom. 3:21-26; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Jn. 3:5). His atoning death (Rom. 3:25; Heb. 2:17; 1 Jn. 2:2; 4:10) and victorious resurrection (Col. 1:13; 2:13-15; Heb. 2:14-15) constitute the only ground for salvation (Rom. 4:25; 6:4, 11, 14; 1 Cor. 6:14; 15:20; 2 Cor. 4:14; Eph. 1:19-20; 2:5-6; 1 Pet. 1:3).

Happy Birthday, John Calvin

John Calvin was born 500 years ago today. Some are celebrating his memory, while others may be gnashing their teeth.

Whatever your attitude toward him, he is a giant that still must be reckoned with, and it's worth noting that some who are known for advocating different understandings of theology had these kinds of things to say about him:
John Wesley called him “a great instrument of God,” and Jacob Arminius considered Calvin “incomparable in the interpretation of Scripture” and recommended Calvin’s commentaries second only to the Bible itself. So learning and benefiting from Calvin isn’t just for the five pointers.
I'd say, be careful in your criticism before you've read him. You might be reacting to extreme Calvinists and not Calvin.

Michael Wittmer has a great birthday post on John Calvin. It's not that long, and I'm tempted to paste the whole thing in here, but I'll list his main points, and you can check it out for yourself here.

John Calvin is one of the most misunderstood men in church history. Contrary to popular opinion, John Calvin was not:
1. The dictator of Geneva
2. The one who burned Michael Servetus at the stake

Who was John Calvin?
1. He was a scholar
2. He was a pastor
3. He was a champion for sovereign grace


A House Divided

From our text for this week's sermon:
Matthew 12:22-28
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Interestingly, I was reminded just this past Sunday afternoon of Abraham Lincoln's appropriation of this text (Matthew 12:25) in his discussion of the issue of slavery in the United States. Here's the opening of his speech to the Illinois Republican State Convention in Springfield on June 16, 1858, the same year (and on the same issue) as the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates. It's now known as his "A House Divided" speech.
If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into the fifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only not ceased, but has constantly augmented. In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached and passed. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new -- North as well as South.

Of course, Abraham Lincoln and Jesus are speaking about two different things, but Lincoln is not guilty of twisting the Scriptures. He's just using the same proverbial statement to make a similar point in a different context.

But would a majority of politicians get the reference to Jesus' words today? Would most professing, Bible-believing church-attending Christians?

Thursday, July 09, 2009

'Honor Thy Father' for Grownups

Mollie Ziegler Hemingway writes on the challenges of caring for elderly parents:
The generations handling care for dying parents are facing something their ancestors never did. They're part of smaller and less-stable extended families. They're less likely to live near their parents—sometimes they are thousands of miles away. And the amount of time spent caring for elderly family members can extend from a few tough years to many difficult decades. Even the strongest families will be stretched to the limit when attempting to fulfill the commandment to honor one's parents. So what do you do?

You take care of your parents.

It's never been easy. There's a reason the psalmist cries, "Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone." Old age is almost always a time of physical and mental deterioration, of pain and loss, of fear and loneliness. Watching parents become chronically ill or senile is unbearably painful for their adult children.

Christians should think scripturally when facing this troubling time...

Go here to read the whole thing and see her suggestions.

The Unpardonable Sin

Here's Iain Campbell, discussing John Bunyan and one of Bunyan's characters in Pilgrim's Progress:
So here is a man, portrayed as being in a condition where he knows that he has committed unpardonable offences against God, and finds himself now shut out of the promises. There is no doubt that the Bible portrays such a condition, but does it teach that it is possible for someone to know that he is past grace and beyond repentance? This man says that he was once 'a fair and flourishing professor' (p34), that is, one who professed faith, and he lists his sins as follows:

I left off to watch and be sober; I laid the reins upon the neck of my lusts; I sinned against the light of the Word, and the goodness of God; I have grieved the Spirit, and he is gone; I tempted the devil, and he is come to me; I have provoked God to anger, and he has left me; I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent. (p34)

When Interpreter asks, 'is there no hope but you must be kept in the iron cage of despair?', the man replies, 'no, none at all'.

The question is not whether it is possible for a person to be in this situation, but whether it is possible for him to be in it and be conscious of it. On the one hand, Bunyan himself was plagued with the thought that he had committed the unpardonable sin, by which he says that 'the word of the gospel was forced from my soul, so that no promise or encouragement was to be found in the Bible for me ... I saw there was cause for rejoicing for those who held on to Jesus; but as for me, I had cut myself off by my transgressions and left myself no place where either my foot or my hand could lay a firm hold among all the support and props in the precious Word of life' (Grace Abounding, p102).

But these were the fears of someone struggling to find hope; and I have always taken it as a rule of thumb that if anyone is afraid that they have committed the unpardonable sin, that is a sure sign that they haven't. It seems that part of the hardness of those who have committed it is not to be concerned about it one way or the other. This is how the upardonable sin is dealt with in most evangelical theologies:

The fact that the upardonable sin involves such extreme hardness of heart and lack of repentance indicates that those who fear they committed it, yet still have sorrow for sin in their heart and desire to seek after God certainly do not fall in the category of those who are guilty of it. Berkhof says that 'we may be reasonably sure that those who fear that they have committed it and worry about this, and desire the prayers of others for them, have not committed it' (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, p509, quoting Berkhof, p253)

Next Sermon - Matthew 12:22-50 on 07/12/09

Here's the text for Sunday's sermon.

Matthew 12:22-50
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house. 30 Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

38 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” 39 But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 41 The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

43 “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.”

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Mt. Morris, Abraham Lincoln, Freedom, and Faith

I was invited to take part in our town's Let Freedom Ring festival this past weekend, speaking briefly before a dramatic presentation of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. You can learn about the Mt. Morris connection here.

Here's what I said:

I’ve been asked to say a few words before offering a prayer of blessing-- comments related to the freedom of religion, Mt. Morris, and Abraham Lincoln.

The Constitution of the United States was not yet fifty years old when settlers established what would become the village of Mt. Morris, Illinois.

If you don’t know the history, you’ll learn today that, even before it had a name, this community gave expression to the freedom that was articulated at the beginning of the very first article of the Bill of Rights: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

The village of Mt. Morris was built around, quite literally, a Methodist institution of higher learning. Founding a seminary at what was called “the summit of the open prairie”—now that’s exercising one’s freedom of religion!

Faith has continued to hold a prominent place in the life of Mt. Morris, whether you consider Rock River Seminary, Mt. Morris College (the Brethren school that took over the Methodist campus in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries), or the four churches that worship and serve within the community today.

Now, it is true that there were Christians on both sides of the civil war that began less than a quarter of a century after Mt. Morris’ founding. Many Methodists were strong abolitionists, but there were also defenders of slavery (in the North and South) that called themselves believers.

There’s a story told of President Abraham Lincoln being visited by the wives of two Confederate soldiers who were Union POWs and who had supported slavery. The wives asked for their husbands’ release and added, "They are religious men." Lincoln replied, "I don’t see how someone who thinks one man should earn his bread by other man’s forced labor can be called religious."

This doesn’t mean that religious faith is worthless, as Lincoln's continued regard demonstrates. It only shows that believers do sometimes fall short of the divine standard of dealing with other people, sometimes tragically so.

The example of Lincoln from an earlier period, the one we are remembering today in the famous debates with Stephen Douglas, shows that faith was critical in overturning slavery. Douglas' position on the issue of slavery was that “The People should decide.” This is called the principle of Popular Sovereignty. In contrast with the sovereignty of a tyrannical king or government, popular sovereignty is a good thing.

But Lincoln noted that there was a greater sovereignty. He pointed people back to the Declaration of Independence, which says that all people are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." If this is true-- if our rights come, not because The People say somebody has rights, but because each and every one is seen to be given those rights as created by God, then we dare not ignore the greater sovereignty of God.

I pray that the churches of Mt. Morris and our country can continue to serve as a reminder that we dare not ignore God as we face the challenging issues of our time, just as Lincoln and Douglas wrestled through theirs.

Change the Heart

WORLD magazine's latest issue has a story on corruption in Illinois politics. As you well know, Blagojevich is just the most recent example of this. I thought you might like to see their quotation of one of our local politicians (he even marched in our rainy Mt. Morris 4th of July parade).

Sen. Tim Bivins, a Republican, concedes that legislation plays a role but is increasingly convinced that evangelism can help clean up Illinois politics: "True rehabilitation comes from change in the heart. You change the heart, you change the mind. It's no different for legislators. And there's only one true way to change the heart, and that's through Christ."

Here's a link to the article, though you have to be a subscriber to read the whole thing.

P.S., I don't endorse politicians. And, frankly, the way things have been going lately, our believing politicians need extra prayer too.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Culture Making Video

See the previous post for an excerpt from the book Culture Making. Here's author Andy Crouch talking about his work.

Culture Making

Culture Making by Andy Crouch is one of the best books I've read in the past year. That's not really not a very dramatic statement, as it made several Best-Books lists (including Christianity Today and World). I've thought about blogging about it for a while now, as I finished it several months ago. Now's the time to tell you about it because our church reading group is adding it to their list. It's a great time to join!

After discussing how Christians are most likely to condemn, critique, consume, or copy culture, the author continues:
Of all the possible postures toward culture, consumption is the one that lives most unthinkingly within a culture's preexisting horizons of possibility and impossibility. The person who condemns culture does so in the name of some other set of values and possibilities. The whole point of critique is becoming aware of the horizons that a given culture creates, for better or worse. Even copying culture and bringing it into the life of the Christian community puts culture to work in the service of something believed to be more true and lasting. But consumption, as a posture, is capitulation: letting the culture set the terms, assuming that the culture knows best and that even our deepest longings (for beauty, truth, love) and fears (of loneliness, loss, death) have some solution that fits comfortably within our culture's horizons, if only we can afford to purchase it.

What is missing from our repertoire, I've come to believe, are the two postures that are most characteristically biblical but have been least explored by Christians in the last century. They are found at the very beginning of the human story, according to Genesis: like our first parents, we are to be creators and cultivators. Or to put it more poetically, we are artists and gardeners.

The postures of the artist and the gardener have a lot in common. Both begin with contemplation, paying close attention to what is already there. The gardener looks carefully at the landscape; the existing plants, both flowers and weeds; the way the sun falls on the land. The artist regards her subject, her canvas, her paints with care to discern what she can make with them.

And then, after contemplation, the artist and the gardener both adopt a posture of purposeful work. They bring their creativity and effort to their calling. The gardener tends what has gone before, making the most of what is beautiful and weeding out what is distracting or useless. The artist can be more daring: she starts with a blank canvas or a solid piece of stone and gradually brings something out of it that was never there before. They are acting in the image of One who spoke a world into being and stooped down to form creatures from the dust. They are creaturely creators, tending and shaping the world that original Creator made.

I wonder what we Christians are known for in the world outside our churches. Are we known as critics, consumers, copiers, condemners of culture? I'm afraid so. Why aren't we known as cultivators—people who tend and nourish what is best in human culture, who do the hard and painstaking work to preserve the best of what people before us have done? Why aren't we known as creators—people who dare to think and do something that has never been thought or done before, something that makes the world more welcoming and thrilling and beautiful?

You can go here for the (oxymoron alert) entire excerpt, or here to the publisher for some sample chapters.

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

In and Out

Robert Frost:
Most of the change we think we see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor.

Church: Love It, Don't Leave It

At the Washington Post, a guest column titled "Church: Love It, Don't Leave It."

I'd paste the whole thing in here, but that would be gaudy. You can read it in its entirety through the link above, but here's a good chunk:
We've been in the church our whole lives and are not blind to its failings. Churches can be boring, hypocritical, hurtful, and inept. The church is full of sinners. Which is kind of the point. Christians are worse than you think. Our Savior is better than you imagine.

But the church is not all about oppression and drudgery. Almost every church we know of visits old people, brings meals to new moms, supports disaster relief, and does something for the poor. We love the local church, in spite of its problems, because it's where we go to meet God. It's not a glorified social/country club you attend to be around people who talk and look just you do. It's a place to hear God's word spoken, taught and affirmed. It's a place to sing praises to God, and a place to serve others. It's a place to be challenged.

The church is more than plural for Christian. It is both organism and organization, a living thing comprised of a certain order, regular worship services, with doctrinal standards, institutional norms, and defined rituals. Without the institution of the church nurturing the flock and protecting the faith for two thousand years, there would be no Christianity. If Gen Xers (like us) and their friends want to be against something, start a revolution. If you want to conserve truth and grace for twenty centuries, plant a church.

We love the church because Christ loved the church. She is his bride--a harlot at times, but his bride nonetheless, being washed clean by the word of God (Eph. 5:25-26). If you are into Jesus, don't rail on his bride. Jesus died for the church, so don't be bothered by a little dying to self for the church's sake. If you keep in mind that everyone there is a sinner (including yourself) and that Jesus Christ is the point and not you, your dreams, or your kids, your church experience might not be as lame as you fear.

Source

Next Sermon - Matthew 12:1-21 on 07/05/09

The text for this week's sermon is as follows:

Matthew 12:1-21
1 At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2 But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath." 3 He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? 6 I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7 And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

9 He went on from there and entered their synagogue. 10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"— so that they might accuse him. 11 He said to them, "Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? 12 Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

15 Jesus, aware of this, withdrew from there. And many followed him, and he healed them all 16 and ordered them not to make him known. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:
18 "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen,
my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.
19 He will not quarrel or cry aloud,
nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets;
20 a bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not quench,
until he brings justice to victory;
21 and in his name the Gentiles will hope."